Doug VB Goudie: The mother (in-law) of all lights

By Doug VB Goudie

Thursday

Dec 7, 2017 at 1:20 PMDec 7, 2017 at 1:20 PM

Ever since we moved to Boxford, my wife has wanted to put Christmas lights on our bushes in front of the house. This year, my wife argued very passionately for them. "I just know they'll put a smile on my face," she said. I, on the other hand, argued very simply, "But honey, we live in Boxford." And, as with every other disagreement I've ever had with my wife, I had the better argument, and we now have Christmas lights on our bushes.

Ever since we moved to Boxford, my wife has wanted to put Christmas lights on our bushes in front of the house. This year, my wife argued very passionately for them. "I just know they'll put a smile on my face," she said. I, on the other hand, argued very simply, "But honey, we live in Boxford." And, as with every other disagreement I've ever had with my wife, I had the better argument, and we now have Christmas lights on our bushes.

But lest you think we have just any lights, oh no, no. In my wife's excitement (or was it spite?), she ran off to Home Depot and bought six boxes of soft, clear net lights. Six boxes seemed like a good idea because we have TEN bushes, so that left us four boxes short. Filled with Christmas cheer (or in an angry stupor?), she went back to get more, but nope, sold out.

"No big deal, honey," I said. "Let's just space out the six sets we have." That apparently poked the bear, however, and my wife immediately called her mother (who does that?) and asked her if she could get some more lights out in central Mass. Sure enough, Mom-in-law showed up later that day with FIVE boxes ("Better to have too much than too few, I always say," said our Christmas 'angel'!). And in classic mom-in-law fashion, she bought FLICKERING white net lights, which are not at all like the soft, clear lights my wife bought. And since the store where our color-blind Mrs. Claus bought them is an hour and a half away, those weren't going back, and so now they, too, are on our bushes. "I think it looks pretty good," said Mom-in-law upon plugging them in.

Thus, if you happen to find yourself driving through Boxford this holiday season, you might just notice the house with the six bushes in clear, soft lights overlapped by the four bushes with flickering bright white lights. Whatever you think as you drive by, just know that inside that house is a man who sees those mismatched lights and thinks of his beautiful wife and his awesome mother-in-law, and that, if nothing else, those lights have at least put a smile on his face!